Understanding reality has never been easier and yet has never been more difficult at the same time. The quest to know and understand reality has been manifested in all aspects of knowledge from religion, philosophy to sciences and the arts. The changes in the concept of reality have been very drastic in the sciences when certain basic concepts of matter within classical mechanics were completely overturned by the intriguing findings of quantum mechanics.

Classical mechanics that developed until the end of the 19^th century clearly distinguished between two basic kinds of entities – the particles and the fields. The particles and the fields had distinct characteristics in classical mechanics although quantum theory showed that the classical idea of distinct fields and particles could be wrong and that fields could be particles and particles could be fields. The clear demarcation between fields and particles in classical mechanics was thus replaced with a range of interpretations in quantum mechanics where the fields and particles somehow merged and the distinction became blurred. The quantum particle and the quantum field also became closely related in several interpretations. This has considerable parallels with the interpretations in the Jewish Kabballah and the Upanishads in Hinduism and also in the teachings of Buddhism.

Philosophically this also marks a merger of the form and the formless, the limited and unlimited, the describable and indescribable, the known and the unknown aspects of reality. Quantum theory and the wave particle duality have thrown us into the realm of the known-unknown in a way that has changed our perceptions of reality as now we are aware that reality is not describable or definite but rather like the various interpretations of quantum theory, could have multiple explanations and possibilities.

The various interpretations of Quantum Mechanics include Bohm’s interpretation, Everett’s interpretation, Collapse and Decoherence, as well as the Stapp and Penrose and Copenhagen interpretations have distinct parallel and comparative aspects with interpretations of religious texts.

Each school of thought in Quantum Theory seems to have woven a network of their own worldview and turned Quantum mechanics into a religion of different paths with the same goal of understanding reality. These various interpretations of Quantum mechanics are compared with the religious philosophies of the Torah and the Kabballah, the Vedas and Upanishads, the Buddhist principles, and the teachings of Christianity and Bahaism.

Central to quantum theory are two basic kinds of interpretations characterized by collapse of the wave function in which the electron remains in superposition until it is measured or observed and the no collapse interpretations in which the electron is either accompanied by a wave aspect or remains in superposed states, and these two viewpoints play a central role in the understanding of reality.

Physicists Neils Bohr, Werner Heisenberg and Max Born contributed to the development of the Copenhagen interpretation of quantum mechanics. The Copenhagen interpretation is characterized by indeterminism, Bohr’s correspondence principle and complementarity. Bohr suggested that the renowned two slit experiment in quantum mechanics proved that the wave and the particle are two distinct yet complementary sets of descriptions so a single object could be described as both a particle and a wave according to the conditions. In fact particles and waves are defined in terms of complementarity in mutually exclusive experimental conditions. This necessarily suggests that properties of an object could either show one aspect or another depending on the experimental condition and never both at the same time suggesting in a broader sense that reality is perceived according to the context.

The essential element of the Copenhagen Interpretation focuses on a basic duality of the wave and the particle almost like a Cartesian duality of mind and matter and the duality of the Yogasutras of Patanjali. The Samkhya philosophy on which the Yoga Sutras is based suggests an eternal dualism of the Purusa or formless consciousness and Prakrti or Nature and these are considered mutually exclusive. Samkhya is spiritual liberation and isolation from feelings or nature and experience and thus suggests that spiritual liberation could be mutually exclusive of any form of feeling or experience. This mutual exclusivity of consciousness and nature, mind and matter and attributes of a single object (as in wave and particle) suggest a close connection between dualistic philosophies in religions and the Copenhagen interpretation.

Bohm’s Quantum Potential, Ultimate Reality and the Upanishads–

David Bohm tried to provide an interpretation of Quantum mechanics suggesting that the electron could be a particle but always ‘accompanied’ by a wave that would imply a quantum potential acting on the particle. Non-relativistic interpretations of quantum theory showed that the electron could have both the wave and particle aspects and showed why we observe a particle like manifestation along with a wave aspect. The electrons collectively could produce interference patterns and collapse of the wave function. The wave aspect as implied of course points to possible non local hidden variables and thus the theory met with some resistance. However Bohm’s theory on the existence of wave and particle together is non-dualistic when compared with Bohr’s wave-particle complementarity.

The Isa Upanishad in Hinduism describes reality or the Brahman as having a form and yet being formless. In fact the formlessness of reality arises from the form and nothingness is just another aspect of everything. One of the verses of the Isa Upanishad says ‘it moves and it moves not; it is far, and likewise near. It is inside of all this, and it is outside of all this’. The apparent contradiction that has been manifested in all descriptions of reality in the Upanishads is specially significant and comparable to the wave-particle descriptions within quantum theory as the particle and the wave could be described as having similar contradictory states of manifestation and yet like the description of reality within the Upanishads could be both present and absent. The wave which accompanies the particle could be that which moves and that which doesn’t move and could be both far and near and inside and outside of all this. Bohm’s interpretation is holistic and seems to integrate the wave and the particle to define reality and this could be especially related to the descriptions of the Absolute or Ultimate Reality in religious texts where the idea of God is nothing but a ‘whole’ and yet greater than the sum of all things.

Everett’s Relative State theory, Mahayana and Theravada Buddhism –

Hugh Everett also proposed a no collapse interpretation of the wave function and accepted quantum superposition at every level of the description of the quantum phenomenon even when the electron is in a spin state or when the experimenter is observing the measurements. Everett suggested that collapse is not necessary if super-positions could be interpreted at all levels. This would mean that the electron could continue to remain in a superposed non local state and could be ‘that which moves and does not move’. The mind of the experimenter is also considered as being in superposed states along with superposed states of electrons. This is the observer-observed interrelationship that seems to have entangled in the Everett Relative State interpretation. Within the Everett interpretation, the up and down spin states of an electron are true and also imply that the universe could be considered as bifurcated and branching universes could have these different observers and different states of reality. Thus every time a measurement is made, the universe splits and thus the Everett explanation of reality is a ‘many worlds interpretation’ with more than one possibility of seeing or measuring reality. This has been taken further and researchers have suggested that it is the minds that split and not the Universe resulting in many minds interpretation.

The cycle of birth and rebirth in Indian religions and a succession of lifetimes and the emphasis on the existence and contribution of many Buddhas towards the attainment of ultimate Nirvana are comparable to the concept of many worlds. The mere possibility of several equally potent realities are akin to the different realms of Buddhism. Buddhist philosophy distinguishes different realms or worlds and between the abode of Brahmas from Samsara or mortal Earth where human beings go through a constant struggle of birth and rebirth and Narakas or hells. Rebirth of higher souls according to Buddhists could take place in the higher realms or worlds or even in formless realms. This existence of different worlds or realms which was already an accepted fact in Buddhism could have similarities with the Everett many worlds interpretation.

Decoherence and the Jewish Kabbalah –

One of the most popular collapse interpretations is the decoherence theory that interprets quantum mechanics within the cosmological context. Within the cosmological context it may be difficult to distinguish between the observer and observed as the existence of the observer is naturally related to the existence of the observed.

Decoherence is however the reduction of the quantum state to a classical state of particles without necessarily involving consciousness or conscious observers. Conscious observers seem to appear within the superposition and if this is considered true then a quantum system could facilitate its own collapse and any external collapse factor would not be necessary. From a religious perspective this would be the merger of the self and non-self.

This could have close comparisons with Kabbalistic philosophy as Kabbalah essentially ties the concept of God or Ein Sof with the ‘desire to give’ and the ‘’desire to receive’ and this would also imply a close relationship between the observer (humans) and observed (the creator or creation). The materialization of the desire to give seems to be associated with the desire to receive and implies an intimate connection between the universe, the receiver and the creator.

Bohm focused on a deeper level causality for quantum events although the search for causal explanations in quantum theory continued beyond the Bohmian interpretation. There are some restrictions to the possibilities within space-time region, although an ‘event’, as described by Henry Stapp and others seems to differ from decoherence or collapse of state by being involved with consciousness in some way. In fact John Wheeler suggested that it was the conscious observer who collapsed the wave function and the history of the universe was created. In fact according to Wheeler, any quantum phenomenon is essentially undefined until there is measurement or the act of looking by an observer. Wheeler said, ‘We are participators in bringing into being not only the near and here but the far away and long ago. We are in this sense, participators in bringing about something of the universe in the distant past and if we have one explanation for what's happening in the distant past why should we need more?’

Considering the collapse theory until biological observers reached a point in evolution that they could observe the Universe, the universe itself remained in a state of superposition. It is only when observers were conscious of observing something that the Universe actually came into being. This highlights the ever important role of subjectivity in explaining the workings of the Universe.

This invokes the Aristotelian principle and the beliefs of Christianity as the Universe exists with God as the first cause (The Cosmological Argument). All collapse interpretations which brings the role of the observer could be compatible with causal explanations of reality and the central role of a conscious creator. Such an explanation could even be very similar to Christian and Biblical beliefs of the concept of a conscious personal form of God.

Some other researchers have suggested that the collapse itself is physical and an objective phenomenon and the wave functions could be subject to random localizations in configuration space. Roger Penrose also argued that this collapse is an objective and real physical phenomenon and highlighted the importance of quantum gravity suggesting that only gravity among all other physical quantities influence causal relations between events and thus could cause collapse. Penrose claimed that quantum super-positions involve states in which particles are located in different places yet objective reduction through collapse could be non-computable.

The non computability of the collapse and the fact that particles could be located in different places until the collapse by being in superposed states again draws parallels to the various descriptions of reality both in the Upanishads and the Kabbalah.

Everett described a superposed, many worlds condition whereas Bohm emphasized on the existence of a quantum potential or accompanying wave. Bohm’s interpretation showed that reality could be both defined and undefined, as consistently emphasized in the Upanishads whereas Everett’s many worlds interpretation is about different realms of reality, accepted within both Theravada and Mahayana Buddhism. Classical field theories are characterised by particles with definite degrees of freedom, with specified positions and momenta although in quantum fields the indefiniteness of the particles are explained by the uncertainty principle. The indefiniteness of the particles existing together and the possibility of a wave aspect have provided quantum mechanics with a philosophy which is almost similar to any religious interpretation of reality.

Copyright: Saberi Roy, 2010

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# Classical mechanics was distinguished between particles and fields. Quantum theory initially showed the reality of particles although quantum field theory emphasized on fields. Further reading: Ryder, L.H. (1985). Quantum Field Theory. Cambridge University Press

# One of the significant similarities between the teachings of the Kabbalah and Upanishads is the emphasis of the merger of the different aspects of reality and the emphasis on the whole.

# Henry Stapp and Roger Penrose provided explanations of quantum theory based on the need for new approaches to consciousness.

# Bohr’s correspondence principle tried to suggest an agreement of classical and quantum physics under specific conditions

# Rene Descartes clearly distinguished between mind and matter (the physical and non-physical) and established dualism as a philosophical position. There could be many types of dualism. Cottingham, John (1992). The Cambridge Companion to Descartes. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press

# Patanjali’s Yogasutras is a foundational text of Yoga, one among the six systems of Indian philosophy. Patanjali. 1989. (Feuerstein, G. trans). The Yoga-Sutra of Patañjali: A New Translation and Commentary. Inner Traditions.

# Bohm, D. 1957. Causality and Chance in Modern Physics, 1961 Harper edition reprinted in 1980: U of Pennsylvania Press

# David Bohm’s emphasis on wholeness and the implicate order could be parallel to the concepts of ultimate reality in Hinduism. In fact Bohm’s dialogues with Krishnamurti go beyond physics to explore consciousness, ultimate reality, and sense perceptions. In Bohm , D 1999. Limits of Thought: Discussions, with Jiddu Krishnamurti, London: Routledge

# In his paper on the New Theory of the Relationship of Mind and Matter (1990), Bohm attempted to provide’ a way of thinking that does not divide mind and matter’. From Philosophical Psychology. Vol 3. No 2. Pp.271-286

# From Isa Upanishad 5.

# Hugh Everett III "The Theory of the Universal Wavefunction", Manuscript (1955), pp 3–140 of Bryce DeWitt, R. Neill Graham, eds, The Many-Worlds Interpretation of Quantum Mechanics, Princeton Series in Physics, Princeton University Press (1973)

# Quantum superposition is explained as a quantum mechanical property in which particles exist not in one specific state but in all possible states at the same time

# Wallace David, Worlds in the Everett Interpretation, Studies in the History and Philosophy of Modern Physics, 33, (2002), pp.　637–661

# Harvey, P Introduction to Buddhism.1990

# Wheeler noted at Science Show, 18 February 2006 - The anthropic universe

# Penrose, R (2005). The Road to Reality: A Complete guide to the Laws of the Universe. Vintage Books.

# According to quantum mechanics, the Uncertainty Principle suggests that the position and momentum of a particle cannot be simultaneously measured with arbitrarily high precision.